15 February 2014 — Strategic Culture Foundation
Bernard-Henri Lévy: Harangues of Ignorant Buffoon
15.02.2014 | 00:00 | Irina LEBEDEVA
Zealous French intellectual Bernard-Henri Levi visited the maidan in Kiev on February 9 to deliver another fiery harangue. The next day the article Bernard-Henri Levi: We’re all Ukrainians (Bernard-Henri Lévy: «Nous sommes tous des Ukrainiens») saw light published by Parisian Le Monde. In his fervor Ukrainian Levi he called Yulia Timoshenko the Dame of Kiev (meaning Yulia Timoshenko who is behind bars at present). I can hardly imagine what Oleh Tyahnybok, another passionate maidan supporter, or Victor Yanukovych thought having heard these bold words spoken by someone born to an Algerian Jewish family. But I’m glad to see one more proof of the fact that the French are reasonable people. The article of «new Ukrainian» was followed by many virulent comments like «We’ve been Libyans, now we are Ukrainians. Could we just be French, is it so hard?»
The «Bosnian Spring» and the Serbian Fall
15.02.2014 | 00:00 | Pyotr ISKENDEROV
The dramatic developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina are becoming increas-ingly pan-European in character. In the dynamics of the conflict one can see parallels which make it similar to the crisis in Ukraine… Considering the intensity of interethnic disputes which persists in Bosnia and Herze-govina almost two decades after the end of the fratricidal war, the socioeconomic cri-sis could easily grow into the disintegration of the country. It is very likely that the West will take advantage of events and force the Euro-Atlantic integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina…
US New Syria Strategy: Will it Succeed?
14.02.2014 | 00:00 | Igor PANKRATENKO
…The second round of negotiations held within the framework of Geneva conference on Syria (Geneva-2.1) has stymied, the remaining two days will not produce any result… The anti-Syria coalition, including the United States, appears to lose interest in the dialogue it has imposed. The matter is that the main events related to final settlement of the Syria issue are taking place away from Switzerland. The US-submitted draft U.N. Security Council resolution on humanitarian aid access in Syria has failed to come through. Washington is high-strung while urgently preparing a new Syria strategy and defining its stance towards Bashar Assad… It actually means that the United States along with other members of anti-Syria opposition needs no window-dressing like the Geneva 2.1 conference anymore. In practice the talks are unproductive and the propaganda agenda of the play called «opposition striving for a national dialogue vs. stubborn and insidious dictator Assad» has been exhausted…
Obama Revisits Military Option on Syria
14.02.2014 | 00:00 | Melkulangara BHADRAKUMAR
Elegant support
13.02.2014 | 00:00 | Alexander SALITZKI
Russia and China’s pairs skating on the ice rink of world politics continues. In Sochi, we have observed with pleasure yet one more element in the routine of this increasingly harmonious duet… Vladimir Putin has shown his appreciation for the help that the President of the People’s Republic of China has given both to Russia and to Putin personally. At the start of the conversation, he remarked that the Chinese rarely travel anywhere over the Chinese New Year public holiday, which was celebrated by the Far East on 31 January, unless it is to friends or relatives. «We will regard your visit to Sochi as a visit to a good friend». I do not know whether those who watched the Olympics’ opening ceremony noticed, but the Chinese team was one of the few whose athletes were waving Russian flags as well as Chinese ones. Was this just a gesture of friendly solidarity?..
Prompt Global Strike: Another Stride to Ambitious Incarnation
13.02.2014 | 00:00 | Andrei AKULOV
The Prompt Global Strike (PGS) program encompasses numerous technologies… Russian officials have expressed their sharp criticism towards the U.S. plans for the PGS initiative… A plan is being drafted to deploy rail-mounted nuclear missiles as a potential response to Prompt Global Strike. On December 18, 2013, Lieutenant-General (two stars) Sergei Karakaev said, «A defense ministry report has been submitted to the president and the order has been given to develop a preliminary design of a rail-mounted missile system»… Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said last December that Moscow reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional strike and sees them as a «great equalizer» reducing the likelihood of aggression…
Field Marshal El-Sisi Close to Victory in the Fight for Egypt’s Future
12.02.2014 | 00:00 | Dmitry MININ
On February 6 the world media, quoting the Kuwaiti publication Al-Seyassah, reported that the strong man of Egypt, Commander in Chief and recently-promoted Field Marshal el-Sisi, has announced that he will run for president. The important thing is that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of Egypt has already nominated the defense minister as a presidential candidate. It is obvious to all that el-Sisi will be the most likely victor at the presidential election, which is to take place no later than April 19. And it is primarily on this man, whom the people see as a «new Nasser», that the path Egypt takes in the future will depend…
Iran, US: Islamic Revolution Turns 35
11.02.2014 | 11:13 | Nikolai BOBKIN
On February 11, 1979 the world saw one of the most momentous events of the XX century. 35 years ago the leader of the first Islamic revolution ayatollah Khomeini solemnly declared victory. It was the end of the shah power that had lasted for 2500 years. The power went to spiritual leaders. The major part of Iranian people never adopted radical westernization and one-sided orientation on the United States, it supported the revolutionary slogan “Independence and freedom!” Today Iranians’ aspiration to preserve their national and state originality is as relevant as the ongoing stand-off with the USA…
Germany’s Ukraine Policy
11.02.2014 | 00:00 | Nikolai MALISHEVSKI
…The concentration on intellectual and economic spheres allows Germans to have a foothold in Ukraine while avoiding the confrontation with Moscow and any whatsoever responsibilities before Ukrainians (this mission is shifted to the Polish partner). Germany is the second (after Russia) Ukraine’s trading partner which is gradually boosting its clout in Europe and the post-Soviet space. It makes the overseas strategists from US State Department bear a grudge. It’s irritating enough to make US Assistant Secretary Victoria Nuland use obscene language while talking about the European Union with the US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt. Washington wants Germans to pull chestnuts out of the maidan fire giving priority to the interests of «world community» over the national ones. In the given case the «world community» is associated with the United States…
The U.S. Counterattack in Central America
11.02.2014 | 00:00 | Nil NIKANDROV
…Costa Rica has become part of a strategic zone created by Washington for the purpose of maintaining control over a large territory rich in hydrocarbons, mineral resources and water. Strategic points of this zone are located in Florida, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, Haiti, and the islands of Curacao and Aruba…
The History of the Ukrainian-American Cabal Stoking the Euro-Maidan Protests in Ukraine
10.02.2014 | 00:00 | Wayne MADSEN
A Ukrainian-American English language newspaper that has been in publication since 1933 and which is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey has been at the vanguard of pumping out neo-conservative propaganda calling for direct U.S. intervention into the affairs of Ukraine and full support for the Euro-Maidan protests in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Weekly, published by the Ukrainian National Association (UNA), bills itself as a «fraternal non-profit association». However, its non-profit status in no way connotes a non-partisan political stance… The UNA worked closely with the CIA’s Radio Free Europe/Liberty and other so-called «captive nations» organizations supported by the CIA and other organs of the U.S. government…
US-Ukraine: Nuland Comes Clean with Dirty Language
10.02.2014 | 00:00 | Finian CUNNINGHAM
The leaked private phone conversation between senior US State Department official Victoria Nuland and the American ambassador to Ukraine – in which Nuland is heard to disparage the European Union with a vulgar expletive – comes as a welcome relief. It is a moment of clarity, in which the US government inadvertently comes clean on its hidden agenda…
Nuland: Obscene Remarks Normal among Top Politicians
09.02.2014 | 11:31 | Natalia MEDEN
It’s hard to imagine that the ballyhoo raised over the Nuland’s being rude about the European Union will make think twice those who are willing to see the Transatlantic Free Trade Area agreement signed. No, it does not look like that. Germans have said recently they won’t object to EU imports of genetically modified corn – welcome DuPont and Dow Chemicals. With such easy going partner Americans have no reason to refrain from obscene language. Actually, the very art of diplomacy is not needed in this case… One of Spigel readers writes that is happy not to be a government employee, he can freely express his point of view. Then he uses the very same words Mrs. Nuland said but this time they are addressed to the United States, not the European Union. Let’s consider it to be another view on what the transatlantic partnership is like…
US Torpedoes Karzai’s Contacts with Taliban
09.02.2014 | 00:00 | Melkulangara BHADRAKUMAR
…Washington doesn’t want any substantive «Afghan-led», «Afghan-controlled» peace talks except under its auspices. Most important, it does not want any serious dealings with the Taliban to take place before Karzai retired and a proxy has been put in power in Kabul who would duly put his signature on the dotted line on the US-Afghan Bilateral Security Agreement, formalizing the establishment of the US-NATO military bases in Afghanistan…
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The New Dark Age 